Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-20
A. TO 4 POSTAL TELEGRAPH.

There seems TO be a wide spread aud
growing demand for a Government postal
telegraph. This demand has gained sudden
force and point by the absorption OF the &,
& 0. lines by the Western Union The
Knights Of Labor took up the question at
the Minneapolis Convention. Mr.. Pow
pERLY, Mr. HAGGEKTY and other leaders,
suggested that aGoyernment system, made
part of the Post office, would not necessarily
interfere with the Western Union system,
which seems quite just. 1T does not lol-
low" said Mr.. POwDERLY, THAT indiyid-
uals and corporations cannot compete with
the Government" Mr.. LITCHMAS said,
in address to his fellow KGights Of Labor:
"One man to-day controls the intelligence
OF the country, and can tell you what kind
of news you may read at Your breakfast.
MI. CARLTON said in the Convention that
the people ought not to vote for any one
Tor Congress OF any office who is opposed to
a reform Of the telegraph abuse On
the same subject the New York Herald
remarks omuiously that Mr.. GOULD may
decide Presidential elections or create rlyl
var by the returns he allows TO he sent
out. he may, by the market reports he
allows to be sent cut, control the business
OF the couutry; he il the master Of the peo-
Die. and the American people, it is very
evident, do not mean 20 have
such n master A. il 10 give
a sort OF practical illustration to the fore
going the Cleveland Plain DEXTER Of Tuesday
saws: The Plain Dealer has done con-
siderable business over all the lines, hay-
ing refused to sign an irOnclad contract
with the Western Uuion binding il to give
that company the monopoly OF its business
in return for a slightly reduced rate.
Yesterday it was notified that the business
done over the T.. Il o. wires would here
after he charged for at q new scale OF rates
dictated by the Western Union, running
all the way from double the rate charged
by the B. Il o. 10 five or six times that
rate. The scale is 80 made that it prac-
tically gives the company the power to
charge what it pleaseS from any given
point, without ii being in the power OF the
newspaper to complain Of O]yercharge ac-
cording to the schedule"
Then We read in the New York Sun q
few days before the r. & o. was taken in
to the Western Union that members of the
Associated Press, seeing the danger OF such
a monopoly as the little wizard of Wall
street has created, had tried to buy the
B. x O. system, but the little wizard
would not permit that.
All these facts are worthy Of SeIiousecn-
sideratiOn. An independent telegraph
system, owned 10y the government, worked
as part OF the PostOliee Departments, with
one uniform rate, as we have already a
uniform rate Of postage, would without
doubt immensely cheaper Geographic
tolls, facilitate the postal service and he a
great convenience to the public. Astothe
feasibility of the plan it is said
that there Is business enough
for both q government system
and the Western Union. A government
monopoly would not be at all necessary to
the safety and convenience Of the people.
In fact a government monopoly is out Of
the question ash would necessitate the I'M
loading of the Western Union upon the
Government, which the people would not
permit. 4 government system and the
Western Union working side by side, hsw-
ever, would give to every man sending a
message his choice, to use Western Union
or the postal Telegraph; it would insure
prOmptness accuracy, reasonable charges
and faithful service. II would enable
newspapers to get news, election and com
mercial reports, cheaply and correctly,
aud these advantages are worth trying for.